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Anwalt
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It's interesting reading about the collectiveBernheim thinking -  I agree the 90 proof shelfer is MEH.   At the You Do Bourbon at HH in Bardstown, the Barrel Proof Bernheim is stupid good to me.

 

I know all of our tastes are different, but I would drink that all day and 2x on Sunday.   Just my .02

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3 hours ago, geclbxf said:

It's interesting reading about the collectiveBernheim thinking -  I agree the 90 proof shelfer is MEH.   At the You Do Bourbon at HH in Bardstown, the Barrel Proof Bernheim is stupid good to me.

 

I know all of our tastes are different, but I would drink that all day and 2x on Sunday.   Just my .02

I tried Bernheim before it was age stated.  Maybe the newish 7YO is better than the NAS.  I can imagine the Barrel Proof version goes down a little too nice. 

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You guys are encouragable.  After reading this thread, I went and picked up a liter of MM 101 for around $50 at a local specialty shop.  This happens to be the same price as a 750 of WSR, lol.  NCF is what gets my ducats these days, and the calling is hard to resist. 

 

The neck pour of the MM 101 was kinda gross, it has a strange off-minty twang.  The mouthfeel; however, was luxurious.  Smelling the empty glass showed lots of nice flavors, but the weren't in the neck pour!  Looking forward to how it opens up.  Worst case is I drop a medium toast oak cube in there and enjoy what it becomes.  The mouthfeel is already spectacular, and it will get even better with more wood.     

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5 hours ago, Anwalt said:

 

Erk RR, thanks for taking the time & sharing.

 

I have a Bernheim to try, we'll see how it goes.  Worst case, I know a bunch of college students who'll put paid to it.

 

I'm with you on WSR.  But I have also noticed that my palate is still undeveloped and subject to change.  What I like and don't like (or think I like/don't like) is evolving.  Part of the fun.

 

Old Fitz...I do not hold out much hope.  If a family member wins one in the OH lottery, then perhaps.  But good to know, many here have pretty consistently favored it.  I suppose that's why it, the various Wellers, etc. have commanded the premiums that they do.

 

Interesting on the W12 and not what I'm used to hearing.  Makes me really want to get one and try it.  

 

A novel heresy (there's plenty of that here, see the blends), I did not know toasted oak cubes existed.  One more variation to try and take into account.  

The Old Fitz BiB I had was the normal BiB that was quietly phased out once Larceny was released.  It was the old school tall bottle.  Sad that it is gone.  It was rich and lively and quite dark.  Not heavy at all and very enjoyable.  I think it was for the old timers in Kentucky, but that kind of juice is no longer sold at $20.    In the order I also picked up two bottles of David Nicholson 1843 BiB which had a Stitzel Weller Distillery number (KY-1).  This seems to have been a misdirection or outright lie.  It was much lighter and a whole lots less rich when compared to the Old Fitz.  Again, this was around 2014.  Wish it had been 3 bottles of Old Fitz, rather than the 1.   

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4 hours ago, Erk Russel Reserve said:

The Old Fitz BiB I had was the normal BiB that was quietly phased out once Larceny was released.  It was the old school tall bottle.  Sad that it is gone.  It was rich and lively and quite dark.  Not heavy at all and very enjoyable.  I think it was for the old timers in Kentucky, but that kind of juice is no longer sold at $20.    In the order I also picked up two bottles of David Nicholson 1843 BiB which had a Stitzel Weller Distillery number (KY-1).  This seems to have been a misdirection or outright lie.  It was much lighter and a whole lots less rich when compared to the Old Fitz.  Again, this was around 2014.  Wish it had been 3 bottles of Old Fitz, rather than the 1.   

 

 

The David Nicholson was from Luxco. Now LuxRow. The speculation is they used old labels from time to time. Whether it was intentional, or when they ran out of labels is anyones guess. HH is DSP-KY-1, and the old SW Distillery was DSP-KY-16. The Old Fitz BIB from SW was great. Even the SW Old Fitz Prime was decent. The VSOF 12 year from the BHC was great too. After the BHC, HH continued bottling the VSOF 12.  The first bottlings were atrocious. A member here asked me about it, but all the bottles I had were from the BHC. The aforementioned member actually sent me a bottle. 🤢🤢🤮 I did find a bottle too, and it was just as bad. It disappeared for a year or two, and when it came back it was much better. It was only made a few years before it disappeared for good. I wasn’t a happy camper when HH changed the OF BIB to age stated decanter style bottles and raised the price significantly. I’m not sure what to make of Larceny. The first bottles were good, then there was a noticeable downturn in quality for a while. Eventually it got better again, but by then, I lost interest. This reminds me a bit of what happened with Old Forester and the BIB/Signature/100.

 

Biba! Joe


image.thumb.jpeg.b3a4a93df1e116f6c38d7667b4ddb992.jpeg

 

 

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37 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

 

 

The David Nicholson was from Luxco. Now LuxRow. The speculation is they used old labels from time to time. Whether it was intentional, or when they ran out of labels is anyones guess. HH is DSP-KY-1, and the old SW Distillery was DSP-KY-16. The Old Fitz BIB from SW was great. Even the SW Old Fitz Prime was decent. The VSOF 12 year from the BHC was great too. After the BHC, HH continued bottling the VSOF 12.  The first bottlings were atrocious. A member here asked me about it, but all the bottles I had were from the BHC. The aforementioned member actually sent me a bottle. 🤢🤢🤮 I did find a bottle too, and it was just as bad. It disappeared for a year or two, and when it came back it was much better. It was only made a few years before it disappeared for good. I wasn’t a happy camper when HH changed the OF BIB to age stated decanter style bottles and raised the price significantly. I’m not sure what to make of Larceny. The first bottles were good, then there was a noticeable downturn in quality for a while. Eventually it got better again, but by then, I lost interest. This reminds me a bit of what happened with Old Forester and the BIB/Signature/100.

 

Biba! Joe


image.thumb.jpeg.b3a4a93df1e116f6c38d7667b4ddb992.jpeg

 

 

Thanks for the clarification.  I think I got it mixed up, the label did say DSP-KY-16 IIRC.  It has been awhile since I have seen those bottles, they are in the deep bunker far away from my current position.  I'll be with them in a few weeks, but I don't like to open bottles unless I think I can finish them within a reasonable time.  Hell, I have most of a case of VOB 90 6 1.75s from a month or two after they removed the age statement. This was 8-10 years ago or so.  I bet they have bottle conditioned nicely!  

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On 9/5/2022 at 9:21 AM, OldSkool said:

Recently, a buddy gifted me a bottle of David Nicholson 1843 and said, "I know how much you love W12, give this a try."  Well, I'm not saying that it's a dead ringer for W12, because it isn't...but I was really shocked how good it is.

Yeah, I'll second the motion on DN 1843.  It's a really solid wheater at a good price point.  Also Rebel (formerly Rebel Yell) 100 proof is really tasty.  I was going to say for the price but I would think it's good even if it wasn't under $20.  And, one of my all time top 5 wheaters is Larceny Barrel Proof.  So much burnt brown sugar and caramel and great mouthfeel.  Too bad it's pretty hard to find (but thankfully not impossible (yet)) here in NoCal. 

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10 hours ago, Erk Russel Reserve said:

Thanks for the clarification.  I think I got it mixed up, the label did say DSP-KY-16 IIRC.  It has been awhile since I have seen those bottles, they are in the deep bunker far away from my current position.  I'll be with them in a few weeks, but I don't like to open bottles unless I think I can finish them within a reasonable time.  Hell, I have most of a case of VOB 90 6 1.75s from a month or two after they removed the age statement. This was 8-10 years ago or so.  I bet they have bottle conditioned nicely!  


The SW Old Fitz in my picture was my “retirement” bottle.  I opened it last year on September 1st when I retired. I’ve been extremely frugal in having pours of it. Years ago on trips into Chicago, I’d stop at a couple of liquor stores in Elgin on the way home. The “goodies” at one store eventually petered out after a short while. The last bottles I bought there were a handful of 200 and/or 375 mls of SW Old Fitz Prime. Stuff kept showing up at the other store though. One time I asked a younger guy (the older owner wasn’t there) at the store what was going on with all the old stuff that kept showing up on the shelves. His answer was pretty effing funny. He smiled and said the owner was cleaning out the basement store room, and that had been a work in progress for years. 😆 I bought a lot of pretty nice dusties there over the years. Among them were a decent number of bottles of SW Old Fitz BIB. 😎 

 

Biba! Joe
 

 

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2 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:


The SW Old Fitz in my picture was my “retirement” bottle.  I opened it last year on September 1st when I retired. I’ve been extremely frugal in having pours of it. Years ago on trips into Chicago, I’d stop at a couple of liquor stores in Elgin on the way home. The “goodies” at one store eventually petered out after a short while. The last bottles I bought there were a handful of 200 and/or 375 mls of SW Old Fitz Prime. Stuff kept showing up at the other store though. One time I asked a younger guy (the older owner wasn’t there) at the store what was going on with all the old stuff that kept showing up on the shelves. His answer was pretty effing funny. He smiled and said the owner was cleaning out the basement store room, and that had been a work in progress for years. 😆 I bought a lot of pretty nice dusties there over the years. Among them were a decent number of bottles of SW Old Fitz BIB. 😎 

 

Biba! Joe
 

 

Great Story Joe.  Ahhh the good old days

 

My only experience with the OFBiB was the HH pre decanter bottles. Back in 2017 when I first started with bourbon I joined this wonderful place and was told to start my journey with all the BiB treasures hidden in plain view on the bottom shelf.  I canvassed the area and bought a lot of OFBiB for $15 and HmK10 for $25.  And like Joe, nearly all of those bottles were quickly consumed without much concern for replacement.  I think I have a few half gallons and 200ml pints stashed somewhere which comprises about 20% of my "dusty collection"  the remainder being a handful of older Weller bottles.  

 

I have found the new OFBiB to be a beautiful bottle, but not all that great of a pour.  

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7 hours ago, fosmith said:

Yeah, I'll second the motion on DN 1843.  It's a really solid wheater at a good price point.  Also Rebel (formerly Rebel Yell) 100 proof is really tasty.  I was going to say for the price but I would think it's good even if it wasn't under $20.  And, one of my all time top 5 wheaters is Larceny Barrel Proof.  So much burnt brown sugar and caramel and great mouthfeel.  Too bad it's pretty hard to find (but thankfully not impossible (yet)) here in NoCal. 

 

Thanks for the feedback, appreciated as always.  

 

Haven't tried Rebel 100 or Larceny BP yet.  I have two of the latter to open, looking forward to it.  If I head West (I sometimes do presentations in the Bay Area) I can haul some Larceny out that way.

 

And it sounds like the DN 1843 is a must try, lots of consensus here on that one.

 

PS:  I intend to make another K&L order soon.  I may bend your ear on that if you are good with it.  You seem to find some wonderful things there.  I'd be interested in some of the French liquors you've spotted in addition to bourbon/rye recommendations.  Headed on a Viking cruise in Bordeaux & then to Paris in late October.  Suggestions on what to look for would be welcome as well.  I'll post on a different thread as the time nears.

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5 minutes ago, Anwalt said:

 

Thanks for the feedback, appreciated as always.  

 

Haven't tried Rebel 100 or Larceny BP yet.  I have two of the latter to open, looking forward to it.  If I head West (I sometimes do presentations in the Bay Area) I can haul some Larceny out that way.

 

And it sounds like the DN 1843 is a must try, lots of consensus here on that one.

 

PS:  I intend to make another K&L order soon.  I may bend your ear on that if you are good with it.  You seem to find some wonderful things there.  I'd be interested in some of the French liquors you've spotted in addition to bourbon/rye recommendations.  Headed on a Viking cruise in Bordeaux & then to Paris in late October.  Suggestions on what to look for would be welcome as well.  I'll post on a different thread as the time nears.

La Maison du Whisky is a must in Paris. They have a handful of locations now, but great selection at the main one at least. High end bottles are priced accordingly but Blanton’s Gold and Straight from the Barrel are still around MSRP last I heard. My wife scored some Weller 12 there earlier this year.

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1 minute ago, Jazz June said:

La Maison du Whisky is a must in Paris. They have a handful of locations now, but great selection at the main one at least. High end bottles are priced accordingly but Blanton’s Gold and Straight from the Barrel are still around MSRP last I heard. My wife scored some Weller 12 there earlier this year.

 

Thanks!  We intend to buy luggage there and bring back exactly that sort of thing.  Who needs clothes?  Except to protect the bottles, of course.

 

Still figuring out shipping rules into PR via distributors.  I suspect wine will be easy and spirits less so.  Will inform.

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After a day of opening up the MM 101 is starting to come to form.  It is reminding me nostalgically of pre-decanter HH OF BiB, but not quite as rich.  The mouth feel is still the star of the show.  Have to see how it continues to open.  The flavor is not quite full enough, so I might add a corner or two from a medium toast American oak cube to push it over the edge.  

 

When I cracked the bottle, there was a scary "hiss" of depressurization.  Screw tops caps covered in wax are no joke!

 

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We still have yet to hit on a few more wheaters. Below is one I totally forgot about. It’s a 2013 SB pick of HHSS. It’s a 127.6 proof, 8 yr old wheared bourbon, finished for 19 months in Cognac barrels. Delish! 😋

 

Biba! Joe

 

image.thumb.jpeg.5b143fa377cde668830e2f536e6c7579.jpeg

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I took a wheater picture and used it to make a t-shirt transfer. Any of ‘y’all remember my t-shirt from the 2012 KBF?  😎

 

Biba! Joe

 

image.jpeg.f6c32ee64344d525f7a1cb60a1f2cbe0.jpeg

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I guess I'll be a minor contrarian here and share that I don't remember caring that much for the David Nicholson 1843 wheater.   Found it to be a bit meh and would just as soon drink regular MM.  However I do really enjoy their rye mashbill bourbon (DN Reserve, the black label). 

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30 minutes ago, fishnbowljoe said:

t’s a 2013 SB pick of HHSS. It’s a 127.6 proof, 8 yr old wheared bourbon, finished for 19 months in Cognac barrels. Delish!

 

You sir, are not just a (Weller) whore, but a tease as well.  There.  I wrote what I wrote.

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On 9/4/2022 at 9:38 AM, Anwalt said:

.

 

PS:  Dear Federal Overlords - that was a joke.  A naughty one, so my social credit score (such as it is) clearly needs demerits.  But no crime here, thank you.

 

 

Queue Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime.

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1 hour ago, Anwalt said:

 

You sir, are not just a (Weller) whore, but a tease as well.  There.  I wrote what I wrote.

 

I’m really proud of that HHSS pick, and also the other one we did. While I wasn’t part of the grou that did the tasting and picking, a few of us helped out in other ways. We went through Binny’s, so @T Comp, @Barrel_Proof, @Vosgar and I went to Binny’s in December of 2013 to number, etch and pack up all the bottles from the first barrel. We also did this for the second barrel, but I can’t remember when that was. It was a busy few months. After December, we had a get together at Binny’s in February. Then it was the Sampler in Bardstown in April, where I did get to help taste and pick a barrel at FR’s. 
 

Biba! Joe

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7 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I’m really proud of that HHSS pick, and also the other one we did. While I wasn’t part of the grou that did the tasting and picking, a few of us helped out in other ways. We went through Binny’s, so @T Comp, @Barrel_Proof, @Vosgar and I went to Binny’s in December of 2013 to number, etch and pack up all the bottles from the first barrel. We also did this for the second barrel, but I can’t remember when that was. It was a busy few months. After December, we had a get together at Binny’s in February. Then it was the Sampler in Bardstown in April, where I did get to help taste and pick a barrel at FR’s. 

 

I will need to find groups that do this sot of thing.  Geography makes it a bit harder.  Sounds like fun, but also effort.

 

We really lucked out at the "Bottle Your Own" HH tour, got a HHSS 14y.  We just had to bottle, much easier!

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9 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I took a wheater picture and used it to make a t-shirt transfer. Any of ‘y’all remember my t-shirt from the 2012 KBF?  😎

 

Biba! Joe

 

image.jpeg.f6c32ee64344d525f7a1cb60a1f2cbe0.jpeg

What a great image ... 

 

I like Wheaties,, However i don't believe I will ever get many of those as my evening pour.

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7 hours ago, CaptTim said:

What a great image ... 

 

I like Wheaties,, However i don't believe I will ever get many of those as my evening pour.

I started a long time ago @CaptTim.  I have to admit I’ve been pretty fortunate over the years. I figured out what I liked, paid attention to things, and had a helluva lot of luck along the way. Best of all was the support, advice and graciousness of a number of members here. Keep on keepin’ on. Ya’ just never know. I know I just missed Weller SR at a store three or so weeks ago. I stopped in at that store the next week hoping that they might have gotten more in. My jaw hit the floor when I saw a Weller 12 on the shelf behind the counter. I haven’t seen any Weller 12 around here for years. 
 

Biba

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5 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I started a long time ago @CaptTim.  I have to admit I’ve been pretty fortunate over the years. I figured out what I liked, paid attention to things, and had a helluva lot of luck along the way. Best of all was the support, advice and graciousness of a number of members here. Keep on keepin’ on. Ya’ just never know. I know I just missed Weller SR at a store three or so weeks ago. I stopped in at that store the next week hoping that they might have gotten more in. My jaw hit the floor when I saw a Weller 12 on the shelf behind the counter. I haven’t seen any Weller 12 around here for years. 
 

Biba

Joe

 

Thanks for the kind words..  Ohio has been good on 2 of the Weller products lately.  As we call it, the RED and GREEN  Weller.  I have yet to see a 12 yr and would surely pick one up, but not at the secondary prices.   I too have been learning from this forum and the people that contribute.  

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The dusty handles of SW OF BIB I bagged many years ago kind of spoiled me...they're long gone now, but I enjoyed the hell out of that stuff! TBH MM101 seems to hang in that general wheelhouse to my palate, so I usually just grab that when I see it. Definitely a favorite now. Though the SW juice had that je nais se quois I haven't really found in anything else. Fun aside: I drizzled a little of it on some vanilla bean ice cream once. OMG...

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 9/7/2022 at 6:42 PM, Jazz June said:

High end bottles are priced accordingly but Blanton’s Gold and Straight from the Barrel are still around MSRP last I heard. My wife scored some Weller 12 there earlier this year.

 

Waiting. 

 

We will be in Paris October 29 - 31.  

 

Not good at patience.  

 

I hear that the online inventory and what is actually in the store are not the same, with the latter being far more extensive.

 

Waiting.

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